This invention relates to the field of combination utensils which can be a fork, knife or spoon, and is intended for use by the fast food and outdoor industries and the military in the field.
A combination knife, fork and spoon has been embodied in a number of prior art patents. U.S. Pat. No. 2,473,288 to McNeill is representative of the prior art patents. The McNeill patent discloses a combination table utensil which functions as a spoon, knife and fork. The utensil has a handle and is provided with a bowl or scoop at one end which is serrated along one edge and which has tines or prongs projecting from the end thereof. The McNeill type utensil has the disadvantage that the cutting edge is serrated, which can cause injury to the mouth when the utensil is used as a fork or spoon. It has therefore been found desirable to provide a combination utensil which has a nonserrated edge capable, upon rocking action, of severing food material.
The McNeill design also has the disadvantage that the McNeill tine and scoop arrangement maximizes seepage of liquid materials. It is therefore further desirable to provide a combination utensil which includes a tine and scoop arrangement which retains liquid foods, such as soup, effectively.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 843,953 to Laramy, 147,119 to Francis, and 3,967,376 to Foley all disclose combination knife, fork or spoons. These prior art patents disclose utensils which are too bulky for today's application, and the tines protruding to function as a fork are not part of the spoon. It is, therefore, further desirable to provide a combination utensil which is non-disposable, is injection molded of lightweight plastic, such as polystyrene, and has sufficient rigidity to withstand repeated manual pressure.
It has further been found desirable to provide a combination utensil which is compact and economically manufactured.
The present invention is directed toward solving these problems and provides a workable and economical solution to them.